Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To ask for advice regarding my iPhone?

49 replies

funinthesun19 · 07/03/2020 13:56

Hi,
I’m trying to get on to my old iphone 4/5 with lots of photos and videos on it that I really want to see. However I cannot remember the passcode and I’m so upset. It’s mainly ds3’s baby photos on there and I just don’t know what to do.

The iPhone was never backed on to iCloud because we’re talking 2014/15 and I can’t even remember even knowing about ICloud back then.

Is there any way at all that I can get around this. Can they be uploaded on to a laptop without unlocking it?

OP posts:

Welshmaenad · 07/03/2020 15:30

Can you take it into an Apple shop to see if they can help?

Ohyesiam · 07/03/2020 17:18

In the city I live in there is an independent phone repair place and the EU were able to unlock an old iPhone for me.

Ohyesiam · 07/03/2020 17:18

Not the EU! They!

SpoonBlender · 07/03/2020 17:29

If it's been left that long without being updated, it's old enough and running an old enough version of iOS that a high-street dodgy-looking phone shop should be able to crack it open for you for £20 or so. Give it a try.

SpoonBlender · 07/03/2020 17:30

(If it was up to date or a modern iPhone, not a chance! They are secure enough that the US "intelligence" departments occasionally try and sue Apple to unlock them, but Apple can't either)

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 01:32

My friend said this to me too. I was saying to her that if I was a criminal like a terrorist and intelligence needed evidence from my phone, then surely there is a way of cracking in to it! She said on an old ohone like this it could actually be possible.

Apple are good in that they are secure if you lose your phone. But then you end up wishing you can have it both ways and it be quite so secure when you’re trying to remember your old passcode!

Hopefully someone will be able to help me.

OP posts:

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 01:33

*not be quite so secure

OP posts:

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 01:35

In the city I live in there is an independent phone repair place and the EU were able to unlock an old iPhone for me.

That’s good! Did they manage to save all your data on it like photos and videos?

OP posts:

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 01:37

Can you take it into an Apple shop to see if they can help?

I’ve considered that but I have a feeling Apple will just say they will have to wipe the phone back to factory settings in order to get it working again.

OP posts:

mnthrowaway202020 · 08/03/2020 01:45

Try connecting it to a laptop as a storage device and see what happens

mnthrowaway202020 · 08/03/2020 01:55

Err iCloud existed in 2014? Thanks to iCloud I still have intact camera roll photos since 2012, and I used multiple iPhones over the years. Unfortunately if you don’t back up your data, you do risk losing it, no matter how sentimental.

What did you do back when in 2014/5 you replaced the phone? You didn’t transfer them to your new phone?

Apple will factory reset the device to protect your data. Any decent repair shop will too.

Not quite sure how a dodgy shop would be able to brute force unlock your phone without wiping your data either.

heartsonacake · 08/03/2020 03:22

I was saying to her that if I was a criminal like a terrorist and intelligence needed evidence from my phone, then surely there is a way of cracking in to it

Nope, not even Apple themselves can get into a phone without the passcode so the government has no chance. They are made secure for a reason.

iCloud has been around since 2011, so there’s no excuse for not backing up your data. When you changed your phone, what did you think would happen? Did you not realise you’d want to keep your photos off it, and if you did, how did you think you would be able to access them if you didn’t back them up?

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 06:41

I just kept my old phone safe and I thought I’d be able to access it with no problems when it came to getting the photos. But because it’s been so long now I’ve forgot the passcode. I’m an absolute dick.

OP posts:

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 06:46

Try connecting it to a laptop as a storage device and see what happens

Yeah tried that and it says it needs to be unlocked.

Don’t get me wrong I still have loads of photos of ds from my iPad and camera plus his dad took a lot and so did grandparents, but I know I took some nice ones on my phone too.

OP posts:

chatterbugmegastar · 08/03/2020 07:04

Take it to Currys or your local phone shop. They'll unlock it for you. Then make sure that you back up !

coconuttelegraph · 08/03/2020 07:20

Take it to Currys or your local phone shop. They'll unlock it for you. Then make sure that you back up

Like someone above said the US govt couldn't get Apple to unlock a terrorists phone, I'm pretty sure Currys won't be able to help

chatterbugmegastar · 08/03/2020 07:27

I thought that too! But my local Currys unlocked my brothers phone (iphone) for him. It was a 4 , I think.

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 08:25

chatterbugmegastar what about his data, did he manage to save it?

OP posts:

chatterbugmegastar · 08/03/2020 08:30

Yes! It was photos mainly, but all saved. Now - I don't know if my brothers situation mirrors yours exactly, but it's certainly worth a try for you ?

Saturdaycartoon · 08/03/2020 08:36

@heartsonacake, with empathy like that perhaps you should reconsider your user name. Charming and helpful post to the clearly upset OP.

OP, independent shop may well be able to help, I hope so.

Maybe you sent some photos by email to relatives or others?
Very good luck with it.

sweetpea2811 · 08/03/2020 08:41

Do you have a Mac? There's an app called Apple Configurator which you might be able to use to take the passcode off. I've used it before on iPads at work when staff have left without resetting their iPads.

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 08:43

Maybe you sent some photos by email to relatives or others?

Oh yes there are definitely lots there which I sent to relatives and what I posted on Facebook too. Plus like I said I used other devices at the time too. And my parents and ds’s dad took lots of photos too.

OP posts:

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 08:45

sweetpea2811 I don’t have a Mac but your experience is good to know just in case I do get one.

OP posts:

mnthrowaway202020 · 08/03/2020 09:42

I don’t think Apple Configurator will work because your device needs to be set up in the program beforehand, you can’t use an unlock token otherwise.

Again I’m pretty sceptical that Curry’s would remove the password and keep the device data intact - in fact, I think there’d be headline controversy otherwise anyone could bring in a stolen device then gain access to the victim’s data. It’s much more likely that Curry’s factory reset the phone then that poster’s brother restored a backup or synced their iCloud photos. Worth a try I suppose but I wouldn’t get your hopes up, passcodes aren’t supposed to be removed like this.

I hope you manage to remember the password. Do you think you have an old iTunes backup on your laptop?

Original poster

funinthesun19 · 08/03/2020 11:11

No I don’t have an old iTunes back up anywhere.
I’ve just rang a phone repair shop now and they said there’s nothing that can be done, so that’s that really.

I’m so upset It’s my own fault for being so stupid and careless, even though at the time I thought I was doing it all right by keeping my phone in a safe place.

Seriously considering going to a psychic to see if they know 😂 Half joking...

OP posts:

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread